Thai Iced Tea Recipe (ชาเย็น) – Authentic Street Food Style

Red Bull and Singha area few of the most well known, but there’s no drink more famous than Cha Yen (ชาเย็น), or known throughout the world simply as Thai iced tea.

This sweet creamy beverage, that hardly even resembles a regular cup of black tea, is loved in Thailand and served at Thai restaurants around worldwide.

If you enjoy sweet and creamy drinks, there’s hardly a more refreshing and drink option available for you.

Thai tea brand – Cha Dra Muer (ชาตรามือ)

In Thailand, you’ll find countless vendors selling Thai tea on the streets, either from stables street stands and often from mobile motorbike drink carts.

Many of the cha yen (Thai iced tea) vendors, use a brand of tea that comes in a red and white bag known as Cha Dra Muer (ชาตรามือ) – or it’s just known as Number One Brand.

When I was in the US, at the Asian supermarket, I do remember seeing this same brand of tea, so I believe it is available if you live in a major city with an access to a large Asian supermarket.

If not, I think you can make this recipe with any black tea (it just might not have that signature orange color that Thai tea usually has… more on the color below).

Yes, I accidentally opened the condensed milk from the bottom.

For this Thai iced tea recipe, you’ll need both sweetened condensed milk, and also evaporated milk.

Sweetened condensed milk (nom khon wan นมข้นหวาน) is thick and sweet, almost like a syrup, while evaporated milk (nom kreme tiam นมครีมเทียม) is like heavy cream, and is unsweetened.

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Both come in a can, and the most popular version in Thailand is made by Carnation, though there are a number of other brands as well.

Why is Thai iced tea orange?

Why is it so orange?

Have you ever wondered why Thai tea has such an incredibly, and overly orange tone to it?

So did I.

After I read the ingredients list on the bag of tea, I discovered that it includes some C Yellow Number 6 (which is apparently the same food dye that was in Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, before it got outlawed).

So that’s the secret, it’s not just that it’s really awesome yellow tea, it’s a food dye that they put into the tea leaves (that’s why it’s the same color as Mac and Cheese).

I think you could make this Thai iced tea recipe with any kind of black tea, and it might just not have that orange color, but I think it would taste fine.

But on the streets of Thailand, or if you go to a Thai restaurant and order iced tea, it will always be the orange color.

Thai iced tea recipe – try it today

I used about 1 tablespoon of tea leaves for this recipe.

There are a number of different ways you can steep your tea leaves, but the point to remember is you just need to steep them in hot water for a few minutes until you tea is nice and dark orange in color.

I used a tea sock, but you can even just toss your leaves into a cup of hot water, leave it for a few minutes, and then strain out the leaves.

But rather than sticking it into the fridge or freezer and cooling the tea off, it’s instead poured over a cup of crushed ice before being consumed. When you make your tea, if you taste test it when it’s still hot, you want it to be a little stronger and sweeter than you like it, and it will become diluted as soon as it hits the ice.

There are few things on the streets of Thailand more refreshing than a Thai style iced tea. After the tea is brewed, it's mixed with sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk to make it creamy, rich, and sweet. Cha yen, as it's known in Thai, is famous at Thai restaurants around the world, it makes for a wonderful refreshing beverage. Watch the video recipe here.

Then add 2 teaspoons of evaporated milk, and continue to stir the tea until everything is fully mixed in

Optional - A good Thai iced tea should have a little froth or some bubbles on top, so take 2 pitchers, and pour the tea from one to the other, with a bit of elevation. You could do this in a different way too, but it’s pretty fun!

Take a cup and fill it all the way to the top with crushed ice

Gentry pour your hot tea mixture over the cup of ice

To give your Thai iced tea a final creamy touch, drizzle on some more evaporated milk onto the top of your cup

A really good iced Thai tea should have a little foam and some bubbles on the top, kind of like a cappuccino froth, but not as thick.

One way to get those bubbles, and to really stir up the tea with the milk, is to take two big sized cups, and pour the liquid from cup to the other cup, with a little elevation (see my attempt on the video).

I did end up spilling a bit of the tea, but it sure was a lot of fun.

I still need some practice.

Thai iced tea (ชาเย็น)

Cha Yen (ชาเย็น) is a very popular drink in Thailand

The final step for this Thai iced tea recipe is to drizzle on a little extra evaporated milk on the top of the glass.

You’ll see the milk slowly trickle down into the orange tea. Give it a quick stir with your straw, and you’re ready to consume and refresh yourself.

One last thing, it would not taste the same if you didn’t use a straw – believe me – I don’t really like straws, but for some reason with Thai milky tea, it just tastes better using a straw.

I hope you enjoyed this Thai ice tea recipe. Let me know what you think and how yours turns out in the comments below!

Are you interested in more authentic Thai recipes? Check out all my other Thai recipes here.

Thanks for the tip about Number One Brand. I’ve been wandering around Bangkok trying to figure out the secret. After I watched your video I actually saw the same damn bag of tea at a tea stall today! I need to go find it now…

To correct the misinformation, yellow 6 hasn’t been outlawed, just shunned by food manufacturers due to public demand. While I avoid the stuff like the plague, a little here and there will not hurt you. CHEERS

Delicious! I used my french press (since I don’t have a tea sock) and it came out perfectly. It’s also delicious as a blended beverage (throw everything – including ice – into the vitamix), topped with whipped cream. I had those in Thailand, as well. Thanks for sharing this recipe, Mark!

Not so, the ingredients are the same, it’s made in Thailand and all brands like Foco from Thailand have it. That said I’m sure when made fresh it is colored otherwise. That said yellow 6 was not been outlawed, just shunned by food manufacturers.

I haven’t tried it, but I’d imagine a bit of one of these:
Bailey’s, amaretto, khalua , butterscotch schnapps,
Or a tiny bit of whiskey/ vodka (I like drinking spirits neat, but I love good tea and coffee and don’t like to strengthen it too much)

Hahah I KNEW something was up with the pretty and impossibly bright color because where do you buy orange leaves? xP Still, it’s one of the yummiest dyed drinks out there so I’ll gladly take it still. This is a great recipe and so informative. I’m currently drinking one from a Pho location and just had to google how to make it myself. :)

For the next step of decadence, I have just discovered Thai Iced Tea ice cream at the buffet at Pullman King Power Hotel in Bangkok- the same fabulous colour and taste is sure to please both ice cream lovers and cha yen lovers alike!

I missed the taste of Thai Tea that I had 3years ago at Thai Restaurant in Cebu.. Then the sudden idea sparked me to make it my self here in Korea. I was searching for the recipe and I saw yours! I finally found the taste that I was looking for. Your recipe is exactly as the same as the tea I had. Thank you so much Mark :) !! Now I know Why the tea is so CREAMy and tasty. :]

It is my understanding that the Thai Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of dye in Thai Tea. Maybe that is why some of the exported bags don’t have the orange color when it is made. But as far as Thailand goes, it is as orange as ever! An easy recipe, every Thai Tea lover should be making it. Thanks again!

Just moved to Auckland NZ and tried making Thai Ice Tea here. I noticed that the Number One brand didn’t produce the orange color though the taste is as good as the original from Thailand. I took out the sticker placed over the ingredients list and found out that the coloring was crossed out… so no orange color for me but still the same refreshing sweet drink I enjoy! Thank you for sharing your recipes…

I made this using your recipe the other day and it was perfect! Thank you! I have a question unrelated to the tea though, that noodle dish with prawn at the beginning segment of your video…it looks delicious! What is it called and do you have the recipe on your website? Thanks!

Hi Mark recently I tried thai food and I love it ☺ I week ago I tried thai tea and we enjoy soo much that we run out the ‘orange’ thai tea on the restaurant. The owner offers us green thai tea and was even better ;) I was seaching for the recipe and I found yours. Do you know if there is specific green tea to do green thai tea?

Ceylon tea is exclusively produced in sri lanka and i think the idea of mixing tea with spices inspired by indian and middle eastern cuisine because they put spices in their tea too. At first i thought the signature orange tone comes from turmeric but when you mentioned it’s from food dye it doesn’t sound healthy to me. Is there any alternative way to make it look orange? Is turmeric powder good?

Thanks for your sharing :). I hope you will add “kway jab” to Thai street food recipe. It is quite popular n yummy. I love this n have to taste it whenever I travel to BKK. Your sharing becomes my Thai food handbook whenever I leave for The city of Angel.

Great recipe!! I’ve seen them use a lot more than two teaspoons of sugar sometimes which is why I order mine “waan nit noi” (a little sweet). I’m a bit disturbed to learn about the origin of the orange color, but I recently had a cha yen made with black ceylon tea while I was in Ubon and it was the best I’ve ever had!